Report Parish Council Meeting 12th April 2006.
After receiving apologies for absence, declarations of interest and the signing on the minutes of the 8th March, the Chairman opened the meeting.
Pc Finlayson gave the Police report he said there had been 21 reported crimes for the month of March they were 7 criminal damages, 7 thefts, 2 assaults, 2 domestic incidents, 1 public order offence 1 offence of a child being accosted and I telecommunications offence. The Council asked Pc Finlayson what steps were being taken to find those responsible for vandalising the bus shelter in Field Lane. He said the police did have names of suspects and that they would be interviewed, the Chairman and Cllr Purkis asked him if there would be any possibility of getting compensation for the damage caused. He said that would be a question of whether or not there was a prosecution in the Courts. Pc Finlayson was also asked now that the holiday season was getting underway would he and his colleagues bear in mind the speed of traffic on Church Road and Whites Lane and take steps to ensure that speed limits are complied with all round the village.
They?re being no report from County Councillor Goldsmith and after receiving a report from District Councillor Provan, the Chairman gave his report.
In respect of Beaconsfield Road, the County Council had informed the Chairman that as soon as the Rights of Way Officer had returned from his leave the bollards will be removed and the road opened, but they couldn?t say when that would be.
There was nothing to report from the Councillor Surgeries.
With regards the Church Road Play Area and Car Park, the play area is now open, some concern was shown about parts of the playground surface and the Chairman said he would contact Waveney District Council and ask them to look at the problem, although he added that they had given the site the all clear. There was a discussion about the proposed open day, it was decided to put this back from the 1st May, which is a Bank Holiday, Cllr Mouzer said she would look for an alternative date. A discussion took place about insuring the equipment against vandalism, all those present agreed that the Parish Council should insure against vandalism and that the Clerk should make the necessary arrangements.
An e-mail had been received from Louise Jordan-Hall Waveney District Council relating to her visit to Kessingland and what work she had undertaken since. She had spoken to a number of people at Waveney District Council and had established that meetings with various Council Representatives could take place, it just needed following up. Councillors were asked to consider the e-mail and at the next meeting the matter would be put on the agenda for discussion.
The Library update was given, there was a meeting arranged for the 28th April to discuss planning and finance issues,
The Multi Use Games Area in Francis Road planning application comes up on the 19th April and if granted the installation company will be contacted to sort out a start date.
The Chairman read out a letter addressed to the Council from Maureen Long at the MASK shop in Church Road, she was looking at various ways of raising money for a new site. For the time being she has been given permission by the licensee of the Sailors Home to put a portacabin on part of their car park.
The Vice Chairmans report included a report on the Parish Councils site in Marsh Lane and the confusion with Anglian Water over replanting shrubbery that was removed when the works were carried out at the sewerage plant. This has now been resolved to everybodys satisfaction and in accordance with Suffolk Wildlife Plan for the site.
There was also mention of disabled access to the beach and the meeting with the Environment Agency. Everybody agreed that at the southern end of the seawall in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act there should be some form of permanent access to the beach for those with disabilities.
Under reports from Working Parties and Committees mention was made about the BBC Look East item about Kessingland Beach both the Beach Warden Cllr Brown and Cllr Capon were thanked for representing the Council.
Councillor Lawson gave her report on the allotments and The Mardles, she now has a healthy waiting list.
Councillor Morgan gave her report on the Crime and Disorder Committee. It has been decided that the new Youth initiative would be kept separate from the Crime and Disorder Committee. This follows a meeting at The Village Hang Out and now that a Management Team had been formed with Councillor Mason as its Chairman, they would be taking this forward. There was also a discussion about where the Youth Club would fit in with the Community Centre. Cllr Mason said she would be meeting with the new Chairman at The Community Centre after their AGM and discussing it with him. It was the view of Councillors present that the Youth Club should be totally separate from the Community Centre and work to its own agenda, with perhaps a representative on the Community Centre Committee, and regards their premises, work with the Parish council over re-negotiating its planning consent with Waveney District Council.
The Chairman gave a report back to the Council about the Emergency Planning Seminar that he, Cllr Purkis and Cllr Sinfield attended in Ipswich. He said that the Parish Council appear to be the right road with its own Emergency Committee. One village, Great Barton had given a good presentation on what would be needed to get a good emergency plan together, it will be their plan that the Parish Council will be using as a blue print to complete our own. A number of ideas were similar to both communities except Great Barton is not a coastal community. The sings were promising and the Emergency committee will be meeting soon to move this forward. There were other speakers at the Seminar, which included Avian and Pandemic Flu, Tidal and Coastal Flooding, severe weather emergencies and Sizewell Power Station.
There were four planning issues dealt with. No decision was made on the siting of a static caravan at 7 Holly Grange Road; approval was given to two applications, a rear conservatory at 14 Kipling Close and an erection of a 50.2m guide wind mast resource on land adjacent to Africa Alive Safari Park. Te fourth application, then construction of a dwelling at land adjacent to Copperfields, Beach road was approved on the basis of complying with the amendments sought on the original plans.
Amongst planning correspondence was confirmation of the refusal of planning consent to build 3 bungalows in Field Lane.
The Clerks report included details for the Annual Meeting on the 26th April, and the nomination forms for the forthcoming Council elections. There was also a discussion about the Village war Memorial, and it was agreed by those present to have small flowerbeds around the memorial with low maintenance plants. The new prospective Councillor. Justin Darley said he would speak to the Scouts and Guides and see if they would do the maintenance of the beds.
Because there had been long discussions on certain aspects of the agenda the Chairman suspended Standing Orders at 10pm. The meeting carried on and finished at 1050pm.
The next meeting will be the Annual Parish Meeting on the 26th April, when the guest speaker will be Suffolk Constabulary Crime Reduction Officer, Bruce Grainger; one of the subjects will be distraction burglary.